Climate scientists overwhelmingly agree that the global economy must reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 to ward off the catastrophic effects of climate change. Pharmaceutical majors have mostly committed to net zero targets ahead of 2050 and are putting pressure on their supply chain, the largest contributor to emissions, to make their operating practices more sustainable and climate friendly. Decarbonisation is becoming the focal point of industry environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies, as governments compete for leadership in creating the standards, parameters and frameworks for low-carbon growth. It is likely that regulation could get even tougher than what it is today.
But are pharmaceutical companies doing enough to be more environmentally sustainable?
What should the industry prioritise in their journey to net zero?
In 2022, market intelligence firm GlobalData ran a series of polls through its network of their B2B news sites, including Pharmaceutical Technology, to answer this question and a few others regarding what those in the pharmaceutical sector felt priorities should be with regard to improving sustainability and environmental stewardship.
The polls also asked what the biggest blockers are to achieving these goals. In total, there were 312 respondents.
More than half (58%) said Big Pharma was not doing enough with regard to environmental stewardship, though this was much lower than the 69% who slammed the industry’s environmental record the year before. In answering this question: “What is the main challenge to pharmaceutical companies achieving sustainable manufacturing? 37% of the survey respondents said lack of investment in expertise and technology and 28% said not identifying environmental impacts of products early enough in their lifecycle.
The biggest number of respondents (38%) said that at the manufacturing end, the pharmaceutical industry should prioritise API design to streamline dosage in their battle to reduce their negative impact on the environment.
This was the driving factor behind Sofgen Pharmaceuticals bringing Unigel™ to the market.
What is Unigel™?
Unigel™ is a breakthrough in drug delivery technology designed to transform patient care but it also provides environmental benefits by enabling the delivery of multiple compounds in a single package.
Sofgen Pharmaceuticals is a leading integrated softgel CDMO offering advanced manufacturing capabilities to pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies. The business operates in the US from a facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, which has a production capacity of about 1.8 billion capsules per year.
Sofgen is vocal about its environmental stewardship credentials and describes the contribution of Unigel™ to the firm’s and industry’s ESG efforts as “transformational”.
It is a unique oral dosage form that allows having tablets, capsules, granules or pellets inside a single, larger soft gelatin capsule. Unigel™ is the only patented technology for fixed dose combinations which incorporates the benefits of soft gelatin capsules – also called softgels. These delivery formats are becoming more popular because they are easy to swallow. They also allow manufacturers to use APIs with poor biopharmaceutical properties, give versatility from a drug release modulation standpoint and ensures high-precision dosage by achieving homogeneity of ingredients.
Unigel™ permits multiple ingredients that are chemically incompatible to coexist in one softgel
Sofgen Pharmaceuticals, pioneers of the Unigel™ capsule, highlights its ability to offer different release modes, bioavailability enhancement and lower manufacturing costs, because producers can sell these products using more competitive prices compared to independent compounds.
Sofgen experts say that in studies the results are that Unigel™ supports elevated patient adherence to various therapies, including the prevention of cardiovascular events and treatment for diabetes and other chronic diseases. It also offers medical benefits in areas like digestive health and joint relief.
In parallel, the environmental advantages of streamlining dosage are significant.
A study commissioned by Sofgen Pharmaceuticals, based on a comparative analysis with individual dosage consumption, showed that by using Unigel™ softgel products, patients avoided the production and disposal of 27.5 million blister packs in 2022 alone.* The CDMO, which in 2022 opened its first US manufacturing facility in Florida to expand its specialist manufacturing services to the country’s 50 states, says Unigel™ also has broader environmental benefits across the supply chain because It reduces the demand for other packaging materials like cardboard, paper, and aluminium foil. Additionally, it optimises storage and distribution, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and reducing fuel and energy consumption.
Since 2017, Sofgen Pharmaceuticals has developed and launched four products in Unigel® technology for cardio health, asthma treatment and pain relief in Latin America under brands Fenovas, Lipomega, Renestex and Dolofen Xtra, manufacturing and distributing more than 270 million dosages last year.
Sofgen Pharmaceuticals is committed to innovation for a healthier world and is inspired to generate unique experiences for patients and consumers. Through Unigel® they are contributing to patient health by simplifying treatments and at the same time achieving a healthier planet.
